"Hehehe! Water, so much water! Look at all the water!" As she spoke, Tiffany splashed the water into the air, flinging it all over Braxton. "Water! I'm giving you water! Drink it!" "Tiffany! Stop it! Can't you just behave for once?!" Braxton was already exhausted from rowing the tub all by himself. Now, drenched in filthy, stinking water, he looked like a drowned rat. Besides, he still had open wounds on his body, and the water stung like crazy. His eyes burned, and tears began to roll down his face. Standing nearly six feet tall, he was a grown man who didn't usually cry, but he couldn't help it. This had to be the hardest day of his life. He'd been humiliated and beaten by the woman he used to love, lost all his food and belongings, and now his cousin, who had turned into a fool, was splashing dirty water right onto his wounds. Worst of all, he couldn't even hide under his covers and cry his heart out. Because he didn't have a bed anymore. Natalie hadn't left him a single thing. He rowed on, gritting his teeth through the pain in his arm and shoulder. By the time he finally reached his destination, he slumped in the tub, nearly passed out from exhaustion. It was already getting dark outside. He took a deep breath, dragged Tiffany out, and climbed five floors to Edric's place. As soon as Edric heard them knocking, he opened the door—and saw two swollen faces looking back at him. "Braxton? Is that you?" Braxton’s eyes filled with tears. After knocking on so many doors all day, Edric was the only person who recognized him right away.. After knocking on so many doors all day, Edric was the only person who recognized him right away. He said excitedly, "Edric, it's me!" He pushed Tiffany forward. "This is my cousin, Tiffany." His eyes filled with tears as he played the sympathy card. "That knockout drug you gave us worked great, but we still lost ... Look at her, she got beaten silly." This time, Tiffany didn't call anyone handsome. Instead, she shrank behind Braxton, acting like she'd just seen a ghost. "Ugh ... ugly creep! Pervert! I'm scared!" Braxton's face turned purple with rage. He pinched her hard. "What nonsense are you spouting? Say hi to Edric!" Edric was their last hope. Yeah, he was a creep, but putting up with him was better than starving to death. Tiffany whimpered and clung to him, refusing to take a step forward no matter what. Edric didn't look impressed—and there was even a hint of disgust on his face. "Stop pushing her. She's covered in snot and tears. It's gross." Braxton's heart sank. That was it. Even Edric was put off by Tiffany's snot. He glared at her. Where did she get all that snot anyway? It had been streaming nonstop the whole way. Edric looked at them both and, instead of slamming the door, suddenly grabbed Braxton's hand. He gave a sly smile. "Bro, how about you take her place? I'll pay you double." Braxton stared at Edric's pockmarked face, watching his eyes crinkle as he grinned. Suddenly, he felt nauseous. He jerked his hand away in horror. "Edric, what are you talking about? I'm a guy!" Edric winked at him. "I know, that's why I said I'd pay you double!" Honestly, he'd never been interested in Tiffany. She wasn't pretty, and she always acted stuck-up for no reason. But Braxton was different. He was good-looking and knew how to play along. Plus, he clearly had no problem swallowing his pride if it meant survival. Why put up with Tiffany when he could have Braxton? And besides, he'd never tried doing it with a guy before ... Braxton felt Edric's eyes rake over him and instinctively covered his backside, feeling like his whole world had just shattered. He forced a smile that looked worse than crying. "Edric, you must be joking ... " He pushed Tiffany forward again. "Look. I brought my cousin just for you." But Edric just grabbed his arm and tried to pull him inside."Come on, bro, don't be shy. I'll make it worth your while." "Aaah! Let go of me!" Terrified, Braxton tore free, grabbed Tiffany, and bolted down the stairs. Edric watched them flee and just called after him with a laugh. "Bro, don't run so fast! If you ever change your mind, you know where to find me!" Totally humiliated, Braxton rowed the tub home with Tiffany. He was worn out, bleeding, and shaken to the core. The return trip took twice as long as before, since he could barely move. When he finally staggered home, he couldn't help but feel miserable when he looked at his empty, gloomy apartment. All he could do was take it out on Tiffany. He kicked her to the ground. "This is all your fault! If you hadn't pushed me to mess with Natalie, we wouldn't be in this mess!" Tiffany just lay there, staring blankly and giggling like an idiot. Braxton saw that and felt like he'd punched a pillow—there was just nowhere for his anger to go. There was nothing he could do to change the situation, and nowhere for him to vent his anger.